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Bad drivers roam in tailgating packs that form as a result of impatience and stupidity. –Dane Mutters

Today, I’ll be examining how much faster a person can get to their destination by going 10 or 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. Notably, people who try to go much faster than the speed limit typically do so by weaving in and out of traffic, passing on the right/shoulder, tailgating (which doesn’t actually work, and is the most common and preventable cause of accidents), and other highly questionable maneuvers. While much has been written on this topic (including in your state’s driver’s handbook), few people have taken the time to do the math for how much faster a person can actually arrive at a destination by speeding. Below is such an analysis

85miles/hr = 85miles/1hr
50miles / 85miles/1hr = .588hrs
.588hrs * 60minutes/1hr = 35 minutes at 85mphSo, it takes 35 minutes to travel 50 miles at 85mph. Note that the extra 10mph only got you an extra 5 minutes, relative to traveling at 75mph. As you increase speed, your gains in time saved will continue to decrease, relative to the previous 10mph speed. In other words, the progression is not linear, and increased speed over a given distance will net diminishing returns.

So, to arrive at your destination 11 minutes sooner, on a 50 mile journey, you have to go 20mph faster than the speed limit. Not only is that dangerous, but it constitutes “reckless driving”, which is punishable by a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail, in California, not including the speeding ticket you’ll also get.

Now, let’s look the data for how survivable an accident is at 65mph vs. 85mph. According to the department of transportation (see link, below), at 85mph, you have a nearly 100% chance of killing at least one person if you get into an accident. Additionally, your risk of causing an accident dramatically increases at that speed.

So, is it a smart gamble to risk your life and the lives of everyone around you to get to your destination 6-11 minutes faster? Are you qualified to make that decision for someone else who is on the road with you? No.

Slow down, drive safely, be patient, and wait for a good opportunity to pass. No matter how slowly the person in the leftmost lane is driving, they can’t “force” you to do something reckless; that’s your decision, and it isn’t a smart one to make. The math and physics don’t lie.

If you’re using an ad-blocker like AdBlock Plus (you should be!), and a page tells you that you need to disable your ad-blocker to see the content, it’s time to leave that page, and not return until they change their policy. Here’s why:

1) The most popular ad-blockers have “whitelists” that let content providers submit their ads for screening. If their ads are respectful–don’t install malware on your computer, don’t pop-up and cover the screen, don’t play loud videos, etc.–then AdBlock Plus and similar will let you see it! There’s no excuse for not being on the whitelist. Are you a webmaster? Click this link. Now, you really have no excuse.

2) If an ad is not on the aforementioned whitelist, it’s because it’s a truly obnoxious ad, and/or the site’s owner isn’t a responsible citizen of the Internet. It’s literally unsafe to display such ads. In addition to being REALLY ANNOYING, they can install viruses on your computer/phone/device, steal your credit card information/identity, give your personal information to dangerous people, cost you hundreds or thousands in electronics repair bills, etc. There’s no good reason for displaying such an ad. There’s no good reason for trying to make people see such an ad.

3) If you boycot pages that refuse to make their ads respectful and safe, you will force web site owners to make their content respectful and safe…which they should have, to begin with. Don’t give in. Yes, that includes Forbes.com, or your favorite “reputable” web site. It’s only as reputable as its content. Be patient, and keep your ad-blocker on.